It doesn’t matter if you’ve always played or just started, playing music makes your brain better.
Turns out Mom and Dad were right. Those piano lessons you despised and those endless hours in school band practice truly were good for you. From making you smarter, to diminishing the effects of brain aging, to improving emotional stability, it seems that playing an instrument has a hand in reconfiguring your brain and enhancing it. Permanently. And let’s be clear: Just listening to music doesn’t cut it. It’s the active work of bringing sounds to life that delivers the biggest benefit.
Researchers are still discovering all the ways that making music enriches your brain, but the impact is undeniable. So dust off that old guitar from college. Unpack your grade-school clarinet. Join a neighborhood jam or kick back at home, just you and your favorite instrument. And by all means encourage your kids to play, too. The younger they start, the better. Here are 10 reasons why you’ll be glad you did…
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